Think Christmas is all twinkly lights and mince pies? Think again - history is full of people who met their end courtesy of a festive fir tree, toxic stockings, and a seven-year-old with a rifle.

In this gloriously dark seasonal special of It’s a Death Sentence, we unwrap the wildest, weirdest, and most lethal Christmas deaths on record. From the Victorian Christmas Holiday Effect (a genuine spike in mortality from 22–25 December) to poisoned dye in festive stockings, electrified trees, lead-tinsel poisoning, toy-gun disasters, and one poor child who asked his brother to “shoot me just for fun”, they prove the holidays really can be killer.

What You’ll Learn

- The Christmas Holiday Effect: Why mortality actually jumps every December (and it’s not just overeating and loneliness).

- Death by Decoration: Toxic tinsel, electrified trees, deadly dye in stockings, and the boy who died from a hand wound caused by his new toy gun.

- Modern Safety Rules: Don’t water the tree while the lights are plugged in and never give a seven-year-old a rifle, obviously.

If you thought Christmas was dangerous only for your waistline, buckle up - this episode is a hilarious, horrifying reminder that the most wonderful time of the year has always been the most wonderfully deadly.

It's A Death Sentence shares real stories of life after loss and is produced by Urban Podcasts. Listener discretion is always advised.